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From ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ to ‘SVU,’ How Procedurals Became Must-Have Comfort TV
The 'One Chicago' and 'Law & Order,' which were the first to return after the strike, have become must-watch, feel-good television.
Procedural drama series have been the backbone of television since the days of “Dragnet” and “Perry Mason.” Even as viewers are inundated with new, edgy and artsy programs, they’re embracing sturdy shows that blend potboiler tales and indelible characters like never before. Whether on broadcast TV — where procedurals were the first wave of scripted series to return to the air following last year’s writers and actors strikes — or streaming platforms (hello, “Suits” revival on Netflix), audiences gravitate to close-ended storytelling about cops, doctors, lawyers, firefighters and other first responders. “What makes ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ such a comfort for so many people is that its characters are based in reality and flawed just like us,” says Meg Marinis, showrunner of the medical drama that is set to begin Season 20 on March 14.
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